Freedom of Information Advisor

Great British Energy Group; Liverpool; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 92,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is seeking a Freedom of Information Advisor for a 40-day contract on a hybrid basis (Bootle, Leeds or York – 60%). You will manage FOI, EIR, DPA and SAR requests and help reduce backlogs while meeting statutory deadlines.

You will also log, triage and track correspondence, prepare disclosure with redactions, and provide guidance to a junior teammate through peer reviews and knowledge sharing.

Qualifications

• Experience handling FOI requests.
• Experience applying FOI/EIR/DPA legislation.
• Ability to redact information and prepare disclosures.
• Work independently and manage a busy caseload.
• Strong written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Manage caseload of FOI, EIR, DPA and SARs.
• Reduce backlog and progress requests efficiently.
• Log, triage and track incoming correspondence and requests.
• Identify, retrieve, review, redact and disclose information.
• Provide guidance to less experienced colleagues and conduct peer reviews.

Skills

FOI handling

EIR/DPA knowledge

SAR processing

Case management systems

Microsoft Office

Time management

Written & verbal communication

Independent working

Education

FOI Practitioner Certification

Tools

Case management IT systems

Job description

On behalf of HSE, we are looking for a Freedom of Information Advisor (Inside IR35) for a 40 day contract on a hybrid basis (Bootle or Leeds or York - 60%)At the Health and Safety Executive, we believe everyone has the right to come home safe and well from their job. Our mission is to prevent work-related death, injury, and ill health.Our roots stretch back to 1833. The modern HSE is an independent regulator with a wide reach across many employment sectors. Using world leading science, we have helped protect millions of people from devasting injury and suffering through our diverse regulatory activities.We concentrate effort on the most serious risks, targeting industries with the greatest hazards, and sectors with the worst risk management record. We hold people to account where we have to, and we are firm but fair when using our legal powers. We also provide support to businesses through free guidance and advice tailored to business needs. By giving them the confidence to manage risks sensibly, we boost productivity, support the economy, and contribute to a fairer society. We work hard to help maintain an effective regulatory framework, playing our part in providing proportionate and accountable legal requirements.The world of work is always changing. We use science to understand these changes. And that understanding helps us all prepare for the workplaces of tomorrow... so Great Britain continues to be one of the safest and best places to work and do business.As a Freedom of Information Advisor your main responsibilities will be:* Manage a caseload of Freedom of Information (FOI), Environmental Information Regulations (EIR), Data Protection Act (DPA) and Subject Access Requests (SARs).* Assist the team in reducing an existing backlog of information requests and ensuring cases are progressed efficiently.* Undertake administrative duties, including logging, triaging and tracking incoming correspondence and requests.* Identify, retrieve, collate, review, redact and prepare information for disclosure, including large and complex datasets.* Produce clear, accurate and legally compliant written responses within statutory deadlines.* Conduct internal reviews and assist with complaints relating to information requests.* Follow established policies, procedures and governance processes.* Effectively prioritise and manage your own workload with minimal supervision.* Provide guidance and support to a less experienced colleague, including answering queries, sharing best practice and carrying out peer reviews of responses.* Identify lessons learned and contribute to continuous improvement by sharing knowledge and best practice across the team.Essential:* Demonstrable experience of handling Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.* Practical experience of applying FOI, EIR and/or Data Protection legislation.* Experience carrying out information redactions and preparing information for disclosure.* Ability to work independently and manage a busy caseload with minimal supervision.* Strong organisational and time management skills, with the ability to meet statutory deadlines.* Good written and verbal communication skills.* Sound decision-making and analytical skills.* Experience using Microsoft Office applications and case management/IT systems.* A proactive, self-motivated approach with the ability to quickly become productive in a busy team environment.Desirable:* FOI Practitioner Certification or equivalent professional qualification.* Experience working within a public sector or government disclosure function.* Experience conducting Internal Reviews and responding to complaints relating to information requests.* Experience mentoring, coaching or providing peer review support to colleagues.* Knowledge of disclosure processes relating to complex or high-volume information requests.Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.Disability ConfidentAs a Disability Confident employer, HSE encourage applications from disabled and neurodivergent candidates. Applications from candidates who identify as having a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be prioritised for review. Where application volumes are high, additional role-specific and desirable criteria may be applied as part of the shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.